Retract those claws and extend your ears, because South By Northeast’s free party next weekend has been rechristened as Listen Local. Featuring 11 New England-bred bands like Amy & the Engine, the Devil’s Twins, Tigerman WOAH, Le Roxy Pro, the Under, Band Without Hands, Eric Salt & The Electric City, and others, this year’s event goes down Sunday, May 24 at Ned Devine’s in Faneuil Hall.
SXNE say initial confusion about the name, and its interpretation as a dig at the neighboring Boston Calling Music Festival, led to the change.
“The original name was meant as a humorous, tongue-in-cheek, play on the name Boston Calling due to the scheduling, location and the appearance of locals Tigerman WOAH,” SXNE writes in an email sent out last night. “Much to our dismay, the show had been mislabeled as a protest to the City Hall Festival in various event coverage — which was never our intention. While our organizers and their organizers were clear on this, we felt having conversations about what we are not was counter productive. We are beyond excited to have a national festival in our city, heck, they even select a few local bands to play each year!”
Those locals for next weekend’s event are the Ballroom Thieves and Krill. For Listen Local, the name reflects its message as supporting the Boston music scene, as this year’s party features selections from our city’s tastemakers, like Ed Valauskas of Q Division, Anngelle Wood of the Rock And Roll Rumble and WZLX Boston Emissions, and independent show promoter Richard Bouchard, also known as the Indie Rock Ranger.
“The new name ‘Listen Local’ has often been used by our organizers when posting or on social media with regards to the our show and so we felt it best to use this name going forward,” writes SXNE. “Many National acts continue to sell out the larger rooms and area festivals while attendance to local show appears to continue to dwindle. What we are asking with this show, and with its name, is that people make an effort to look in their own backyard for what you consume musically. In today’s digital age, with various streaming and local music outlets available, there is no reason your selections and money should have to make its way only to national and nostalgic acts.”
This year’s lineup is being unveiled day-by-day, with each participating band being spotlighted each day. Keep it locked to SXNE’s Facebook event page to stay up to date on the lineup.
Here’s who is on board so far:
Band Without Hands
The Under
The Devil’s Twins
Amy & The Engine
Le Roxy Pro
Eric Salt & The Electric City
Tigerman WOAH